


Time

by Jubokko



Category: Naruto
Genre: Bonds, Discord: Umino Hours, Established Relationship, Feels, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Iruka Watches a Sunrise and Remembers, Iruka Week 2021, Love, M/M, Nature, Sadness, Soulmates, The Peaceful Moment Before a Storm Hits, a ring, calm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 23:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29990598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jubokko/pseuds/Jubokko
Summary: Closing his eyes, Iruka dug into the pocket of his bathrobe and withdrew a small, velvet box. He didn’t need to see the inside in order to know the familiar pattern inscribed on the ring. It had been burned into his flesh for decades, just as it had been on Kakashi’s, binding them together—two unwitting souls divided by pain and conflict for so long.Toolong.Iruka breathed, fingers tightening around the box.Today could have—wouldhave—been the happiest day of his life.When the tears began to fall, silently tracing down his cheeks, he did nothing to fight them.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25
Collections: Iruka Week 2021





	Time

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is for Iruka Week Day 3: “bonds” and written to (and inspired by) Piotr Wójtowicz’s [“He Was My Soldier”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6T-ZaqQbFE). Hans Zimmer’s [“Time”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgyShFzdB_Q) came up on my playlist, though, and ended up naming the fic after the piece. That song *clutches chest*--right in the feels every time. 
> 
> Overall, this is written a bit less tight than I’m comfortable with--more or less raw emotion that is word-vomited onto a page--so please be kind to me! (It was also supposed to be a drabble as a part of Magnus's challenge, haha-- _whoops_ ). 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

The silence over the lake was absolute, save for the gentle whisper of water against the shoreline. Great swaths of red and violet highlighted the morning sky—splashes of brilliance soon to be swallowed by the oncoming gray-black clouds from the North. 

All was calm. Even the universe seemed to be holding its breath—waiting. 

Iruka stood at the water’s edge, eyes fixed on the distant raft. The solitary, wood construct somehow seemed so very far away as it floated just beyond the nearby dock, framed by the distant forests and mountains. 

Kakashi had always liked mornings. He’d loved the stillness and serenity, just as he’d relished the untamed fury of storms—finding beauty in the shift from calm to chaos. It had been his meditation, a moment of rest for eyes that had seen too much. 

As Iruka beheld the beautiful sky and crystal waters, he knew that Kakashi would’ve wanted to sit there—right in the midst of the silence and glory, watching the dark clouds fill the sky. He would’ve waited right until the storm was upon him before returning indoors, enjoying the moment as long as possible—clinging to the ethereal world that parchment and scrolls could never reach. 

Iruka and Kakashi, they had chosen to travel here—agreed that _this_ would be where they’d spend their vacation and reclaim days lost to duty and war. 

Closing his eyes, Iruka dug into the pocket of his bathrobe and withdrew a small, velvet box. He didn’t need to see the inside in order to know the familiar pattern inscribed on the ring. It had been burned into his flesh for decades, just as it had been on Kakashi’s, binding them together—two unwitting souls divided by pain and conflict for so long. _Too_ long. 

Iruka breathed, fingers tightening around the box. 

Today could have— _would_ have—been the happiest day of his life. 

When the tears began to fall, silently tracing down his cheeks, he did nothing to fight them. 

Four years. 

Four long, painful, war-filled, yet _joyful_ years. 

Was it enough? Enough to atone for decades of spite and pain? For the turmoil and grief they’d given one another? For the hurt? 

Iruka gazed at his forearm longingly. Once, he had resented the mark and hated who it bound him to. At some point in his life, however, hatred had turned to frustration—and frustration, to joy and love. He had learned to cherish it, and the man it reflected. 

And now… 

Now, he only had the questions—the wants and ruminations of a man whose partner had been pulled from the narrative, banished from a story destined to continue onward. 

The mark felt heavy. 

The box felt heavy. 

And yet, for all the questions his mind had created in the man’s absence, Iruka had come to realize that Kakashi—for all his stubbornness and flaws—had already answered the questions. 

Every single one. 

No regrets. _None_. Even in their darkest moments. 

Eyes moving back up to the sunrise, Iruka pressed the box to his chest. The clouds had drifted closer, yet the world still held its fury at bay. He was grateful for its patience, for the time it was granting him now to take up his vigil. 

Slowly, he stepped out onto the dock. 

The water was still and remained undisturbed even when he pushed chakra into his feet, padding across its surface to the raft. 

Four years. 

They had been Iruka’s honor and privilege, a bright patch of memory for him to cherish. 

Fixing his gaze on the oncoming storm, Iruka lowered himself down onto the wood planks, the box held in his hands. 

And he waited. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> This fic was written as an opposite (tone-wise) to [Sunrise](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25807525). Both share the same setting, but deal with _very_ different emotions/events. 
> 
> All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! ✨ I love to hear what you all think! ❤️
> 
> You can find me on [Tumblr](https://akumu-jubokko.tumblr.com/)  
> ✨[[socials]](https://jubokko.carrd.co/)✨


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